Fetal Stroke

For a new parent, there is nothing scarier than dealing with a child's health problems. Unfortunately, fetal stroke during labor or delivery can cause permanent damage and impairment. If you think that your child has suffered fetal stroke due to the negligence of a doctor or another medical professional, you need to speak to a skilled Baltimore birth injury attorney right away. At Arfaa Law Group, we can evaluate what happened in your case and provide you with an honest assessment of your claim. With extensive experience, we understand how to navigate complex medical malpractice cases and have achieved many substantial verdicts and settlements for clients throughout Maryland in them.

Seeking Compensation for Conditions Related to Fetal Stroke

The risk of pediatric stroke is highest in newborn babies, including during the delivery process. Fetal stroke is caused by restricted blood flow in the brain, which can result in the death of brain cells and lead to permanent brain damage. There are two categories of fetal stroke: hemorrhagic strokes, which take place when trauma causes damage to the brain's blood vessels, and ischemic strokes, which occur when clots obstruct brain arteries. Fetal stroke can have many causes, including but not limited to:

Preeclampsia, a condition caused by high blood pressure during pregnancy;

Gestational diabetes;

Placental thrombosis, which consists of blood clots in the placenta, veins, and uterus;

Premature detachment of the placenta, which can lead to internal bleeding;

Trauma through the inappropriate use of vacuum extractors and forceps];

Hemorrhaging, which is excessive bleeding;

Asphyxia, which is the deprivation of oxygen flow to the child's brain; or

Inflammation of the membranes resulting from the presence of a bacterial infection.

Not every adverse outcome is medical malpractice. Instead, medical malpractice only takes place when a physician or another medical professional's negligence leads to the patient's harm. Specifically, medical malpractice takes place when a medical professional who treated you violated the standard of care. The standard of care refers to the generally accepted practices and procedures used by reasonably prudent medical professionals in the same specialty as the defendant. It is important to note that the standard of care will vary depending on a number of factors, such as a patient's age, medical history, and genetic traits in some cases.

Under Maryland medical malpractice law, patients only have a certain amount of time to file a lawsuit against a medical professional for committing malpractice. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations. When it comes to birth injury cases, however, the application of the statute of limitations can be more complex than in many ordinary malpractice claims, so you should reach out to an attorney as soon as possible to make sure that you are filing your claim in time.

Fetal stroke can lead to long-term brain damage and affect the child's development for the rest of his or her life. Often, the conditions that result from fetal stroke are extremely costly to treat. As a result, Maryland allows birth injury victims to collect several types of damages, such as medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, the costs of future care, and any other damages stemming from the malpractice. In rare situations, Maryland allows victims of medical malpractice to collect punitive damages. These damages are only awarded when the plaintiff can prove that the medical professional's breach of the standard of care was egregious.

Fetal stroke can have a devastating impact on your child and family's future. If you suspect that your baby was a victim of medical malpractice related to fetal stroke, such as the improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction devices, you need to consult a skilled Baltimore attorney who can assess the merits of your case. At Arfaa Law Group, we have handled many cases involving various types of childbirth complications, and we can help you as well. We understand that this is a stressful time for your family, so we will handle your case with the utmost compassion. We proudly represent people throughout the state of Maryland. To arrange a free consultation, call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.